STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Fresh off an eight-day break for Thanksgiving, Fordham University women's basketball returns to action late Sunday afternoon with a trip to Long Island to take on Stony Brook.

Turn Up and Tune In

• Battling their third consecutive New York State foe, the Rams take on the Seawolves at 4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon on FloSports ($$). 

• WFUV will hit the road for the radio broadcast on YouTube Live with Chris Carrino and Madi Dembele on the call.

Matchup Notes

• Having only faced one another on seven prior occasions, Fordham has dominated the all-time series, holding a 6-1 record against Stony Brook.

• The Rams have taken the two most recent meetings, winning in 2020, 62-58 on Long Island, before a 71-59 win in The Bronx the following year. 

• Claiming the first four meetings in the all-time series, the two squared off for the first time on Dec. 12, 2002, and again in 2003, before a brief hiatus from 2004-09 separated another stretch of three consecutive seasons facing each other from 2010-12.

• The Seawolves claimed their only win against Fordham eight years earlier in 2012.

About Stony Brook

• At 3-3 on the year, Stony Brook won three straight games following an opening night loss to Columbia, but enters the weekend off back-to-back losses at St. John's and at home against Harvard on Wednesday.

• Zaida Gonzalez paces the Seawolves offense with 14.7 points per game, one of two players averaging double-digits ahead of Breauna Ware at 11.2 points per game.

• Lauren Fillian has dominated on offense with eight blocks already, sitting 78th in the nation a 1.6 blocks per game.

• Stony Brook leads the CAA and sits 10th in the nation in three point percentage defense, holding opponents to just 21.3% shooting from beyond the arc this season.

Rams at a Glance

• Sunday's venture out to Long Island kicks off a stretch of three games over the next week, as the Rams will head to Yale on Wednesday for a meeting with the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. before hosting LIU at the Rose Hill Gym next Sunday, Dec. 8.

• Sitting amongst the top 100 teams in the nation in a number of defensive categories, Fordham enters the weekend 76th in the nation in field goal percentage defense, limiting teams to 36.6% shooting. The Rams also sit 91st in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 58.0 points per game.

• The Rams have gotten themselves a number of second chance opportunities on the year, posting 14.2 offensive rebounds per game through the first six games of the season, sitting 74th in the nation and fourth in the A-10.

• Sitting sixth in the conference, Fordham is averaging 9.3 steals per game, collecting a season-best 13 on two occasions against Adelphi and Cal St. Fullerton in the first two games of the campaign.

• Returning to the court after missing the first two games of the year, Taylor Donaldson leads the Rams with 68 points scored on the year, averaging 17.0 points per game and 2.8 steals per game, while sitting second on the team with 4.0 rebounds per game as well.

• Irene Murua has been a key addition for the Maroon and White on offense, shooting an even 50% from the field while averaging 10.2 points per game, and leads the team with 6.0 rebounds per game, pulling down 20 of her 36 rebounds on the offensive side of the court.

• Taya Davis has helped control the Fordham offense, dishing out 4.2 assists per game, fifth best of any player in the A-10,  while also posting 1.8 steals per game including a career-high five against Adelphi in the season opener.

Battle of the Bronx

• Holding a slim lead through 10 minutes of play, the Rams turned on the afterburners and never looked back, defeating Siena, 90-51, at the Rose Hill Gym.

• Saturday's 39-point victory marks the fifth time under Head Coach Bridgette Mitchell that the Rams have recorded a win by 25 or more points.

• Leading by eight after one quarter of play, Fordham held the Saints to single digits in the second quarter, stretching a 31-point advantage heading into halftime. Siena would have a strong second quarter, doubling their point total, before the Rams held the Saints to just eight points in the fourth. 

• Fordham owned the paint all night, with nearly two-thirds of their points coming down low, beating the Saints 58-20 in paint points. A number of those attempts came on second chance efforts, which the Rams led 18-9, pulling down 20 offensive rebounds, and pacing the efforts on the boards with 51 total compared to 32 by Siena.

• A quartet of Rams finished in double figures last Saturday night, highlighted by Taylor Donaldson's 19 points on an even 50% shooting, surpassing 1,000 career points in the first quarter. Irene Murua would tally 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, ahead of a 5-of-8 day for Emma Wilson-Saltos, finishing with 12 points.

Next Stop

• Fordham is back in action Wednesday with a trip up I-95 to the Nutmeg State for a meeting with Yale at 6:00 p.m. in New Haven.

• The Rams and Bulldogs last faced off in 2022, snapping a nine-year hiatus in the all-time series, after playing each other five times from 2006-13.

• Already eight games into the 2024-25 season, Yale plays Syracuse Sunday afternoon, looking for just their second win of the year after starting the year 1-7.